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Episode 103: Infestation
Overview Nick Gilmore is bitten by an alien parasite, and it's up to Flash and Baylin to find an antidote on Mongo. They have to seek help from the Omadrians, who refuse to give Flash the cure -- unless he can bring the Urn of Omadria back from Ming's "archives". Meanwhile, Dale accompanies the infected Nick to his brother's wedding -- and has to find a way to keep him miserable, or he'll die. Baylin eats cake. Synopsis Opening Ming tells Rankol that there have been two reports of errant rifts appearing on Mongo. Rankol explains that it's difficult to calculate the correct field parameters without the Imex. He's working to fix the problem. Meanwhile, a rift opens up in the swamps of Mongo, and a joybug is sucked through... On Earth, Nick's brother Michael is getting married today, and Flash and Dale help Baylin prepare for the wedding. Dale's a little nervous about bringing an alien assassin to a wedding, but Flash assures her it'll be all right -- and he doesn't want to let Baylin out of his sight. They introduce Baylin to Nick as Dale's cousin from Europe. He's too busy worrying about his speech at the wedding to notice how out of place Baylin is. In his laboratory, Zarkov gets a "rift alert" -- there's an open rift just off the highway. He calls Flash, who promises to check it out on his way to the wedding. Flash pulls off to the side of the road, and he and Baylin search for the errant rift. Flash notices that a rabbit is sitting calmly nearby, and doesn't seem spooked by their presence. Baylin spots a whirring insect, and throws Flash to the ground -- it's a joybug, a deadly pest native to Mongo. As Nick and Dale approach, Baylin warns them to cover their necks; but the bug lands on Nick's shoulder and bites him, burrowing under his skin. Baylin shoots Nick, sedating him; and tells Flash and Dale that Nick will soon be dead. Act 1 Zarkov arrives in his Winnebago, and Flash, Baylin and Dale carry Nick inside. Baylin explains that on Mongo, the joybug's bite is called "the happy death" -- it secretes a venom that causes extreme euphoria before the victim dies. If the bug is removed, Nick will die instantly. The only people who can cure Nick are the Omadrians, but Baylin warns them that the Omadrians are "very disagreeable". Flash vows to save his friend. He takes the rift blaster, and brings Baylin with him as a guide. Dale is left behind, with instructions to keep Nick from experiencing joy. If she can make him miserable, he'll live longer. Flash and Baylin travel through the rift to the swamp forests of Mongo. Baylin leads Flash to the village of the Omadrians, a canton of women who specialize in making powerful medicines. But Baylin won't accompany him there -- the Omadrians know that Baylin stole their most sacred artifact, the Urn of Omadria, for the Chamber of Archives. Flash approaches on his own -- and is hit with a poison dart, which sedates him. Act 2 Dale brings a disoriented Nick to Michael and Antoinette's wedding. She explains that Baylin got sick, and Flash had to take her home. Nick starts when he sees Chloe, Antoinette's cousin from New Jersey -- a gaudily-dressed young woman who has the hots for Nick. Nick has a dizzy spell -- and suddenly, he feels terrific. A wave of euphoria overtakes him, and he embraces his brother. Worried, Dale calls Zarkov, who's experimenting on the rabbit to figure out how to slow the infection. Zarkov urges Dale to make Nick worry. She pulls him aside, and tells him that he's got bad breath. For now, that's enough to break the joybugs' spell. Meanwhile, Flash wakes up and finds that he's tied down to a table. Vestra, an Omadrian leader, accuses him of being a thief and a soldier. Vestra says that men are the source of violence and injustice. They castrate men, removing their aggression and turning them into peaceful drones. One of the Omadrians sharpens a knife, which they call "the tool of transformation". Realizing what's about to happen, Flash desperately tries to bargain. He offers to bring them the Urn of Omadria. On Earth, Dale watches helplessly as the wedding proceeds, and Nick slips further into a grinning haze. On their way down the aisle, she trips Nick, toppling the bride and groom -- but it's not enough. The Omadrians set Flash free, and dress him up as a drone. Vestra explains that the Urn contains the remains of the Omadrians' founding mother. Ming seized relics from all of the cantons for his archives, to break the cantons and keep them subservient. Horrified by Ming's cruelty, Flash promises to get their Urn back. At the wedding, Nick is dancing, and grinning like a madman. Dale steels herself to the task of making Nick miserable, and starts dancing with him. She tells him that it's not likely that Nick will ever get married himself. Michael is a catch -- he's got the looks, and the intelligence -- but Nick... This affects Nick for a moment, but as he slips back into the spell, Dale goes all the way, telling Nick that he's a loser. Nobody likes him, and Flash only hangs out with him because he feels sorry for him. This hits Nick hard. Flash and Baylin approach Nascent City. Flash says that if he gets caught, Baylin should pretend that she's brought him in for Ming. Baylin is surprised that he would sacrifice himself for her. "Just promise that you'll get the cure to Nick if I can't," he says. Inside the city, Flash pulls the hood of his drone costume over his head, and Baylin leads him through a hallway. His plan is to contact Princess Aura, who'll have access to the Chamber of Archives. Then Rankol passes by, and spots Baylin... Act 3 Flash knows that if Rankol sees him under the hood, he'll know that Baylin has betrayed Ming. "Turn me in," he offers, and starts to take the hood off -- but Baylin punches him in the gut, and tells Rankol that she found this drone wandering around. She sends the "docile" away, and tells Rankol that she's returning for duty. At the wedding, Dale calls Zarkov; he tells her that the positive effects of stress are only temporary. Meanwhile, Nick is cutting up the dance floor, completely recovered from Dale's insults. Dale spots Chloe trying to approach Nick, and gets an idea. Flash finds his way to Aura's chambers, where she greets him with a drawn ion pistol. He turns on the charm: "Come on, why don't you put that thing away. You can see I'm clearly unarmed -- and I don't know about you, but I've always found that, between consenting adults, firearms just get in the way." He grabs her and throws her down on the bed; the two tussle and flirt as he grabs the pistol away from her. He tells her that he needs the Urn of Omadria, and he wants her to help him get into the Chamber of Archives. She agrees -- but he'll owe her one. She makes him change his clothes; a Princess would never be seen with an Omadrian docile. She smiles as he removes his clothes. Aura brings Flash to the Archives, and explains that her father collects the items from the cantons to preserve order. She takes an interest in one of the artifacts -- a necklace with a large stone. Flash pretends to make a pass at Aura, pushing her against the wall -- and using strips of cloth from his gaudy outfit to tie her up. On Earth, Dale tells Chloe that Nick is in love with her, and turns her loose on Nick. Chloe approaches Nick, who's dancing on a table, and kisses him. Lost in the joybug haze, Nick eagerly kisses her back. Dale doesn't know what to do. Baylin is brought before Ming. She claims that she's been tracking an Earth scientist who studies rifts, and that's how she found her way back to Mongo. Now she's back, and ready for her next assignment. Ming asks about her last assignment, and Baylin says that she's killed Flash. Then Aura rushes in, and announces that Flash Gordon just broke into the Archives. Baylin is caught in her lie. Act 4 Rankol instructs the Patriots to search the city for Flash. Baylin is dragged away by two uniformed guards, but Flash is waiting for her. He surprises the guards, and he and Baylin defeat them. They steal the Patriots' uniforms, and make their escape. Nick makes his best man speech, gushing about how much he loves his brother. Dale is helpless to fight the joybug infection. As Nick finishes his sentimental speech, he collapses. Dale explains to the other guests that he's had too much sun. At his lab, Zarkov discovers that heat seems to speed the infection in the rabbit. Flash and Baylin bring the Urn back to the Omadrians. Before they reach the village, the Omadrians' Cleric appears, with a squadron of armed drones. She brings Flash and Baylin to the village under escort. Dale brings a woozy Nick to the caterers' truck to relax. He collapses again. At the Omadrians' village, Vestra and the Cleric are suspicious; they recognize Baylin as the agent of Ming who stole the Urn. They refuse to deal with people who consort with thieves. As a reward for returning the Urn to its proper place, they will allow Flash and Baylin to leave with their lives -- but they won't give them the cure. Act 5 Dale tries to revive Nick, who's lost in a drowsy slumber. Zarkov calls her, and tells her to keep Nick cold. She grabs some ice, and prepares a cold compress. Flash refuses to leave the Omadrians' village without the cure. A member of his tribe is sick, and he has to help. He says that Baylin isn't the enemy; she was just doing what she had to do to survive. Baylin admits, "In Ming's employ, I did many things, made many enemies." "Things you're not proud of," Flash urges. "I am neither proud nor ashamed," Baylin declares. "What I am is alive." Flash says that Ming is keeping them all at war to prevent them from fighting their real enemy. Vestra offers to give Flash the cure, if he leaves Baylin with them. Flash refuses -- he's not going to exchange one life for another. Vestra is impressed. She gives Flash the cure, and says they're free to go. "I believe we will meet again," she says. Flash and Baylin hurry back to Earth, and find Dale and Nick at the wedding. They pour the Omadrians' cure into Nick's mouth. Nick chokes, and shakes -- and then opens his eyes. He's cured. On Mongo, Princess Aura sits in her bed chamber, admiring the necklace that she took from the Chamber of Archives. She sees Flash's face appear in the stone, and smiles. At the wedding, Nick is back to normal. Chloe approaches, and comes on to him. Nick makes a hasty excuse, and ducks away. Dale, Flash and Baylin sit at a table together, eating wedding cake. Dale says that she's surprised to see that Baylin came back. Baylin explains, "On Mongo, I have no tribe." She picks up a piece of wedding cake in her hand, and starts eating it. Dale looks at Flash. "Family," he shrugs. "What are you gonna do?" Dale realizes, with a little uneasiness, that she's a part of this new, strange tribe. Ratings This episode (the third of the series) earned a 0.8 household rating from Nielsen Media Research. Cast Regulars *Eric Johnson: Flash Gordon *Gina Holden: Dale Arden *Karen Cliche: Baylin *Jody Racicot: Dr. Hans Zarkov *John Ralston: Ming Guest starring *Jonathan Lloyd Walker: Rankol *Anna van Hooft: Princess Aura *Panou: Nick Gilmore *Carrie Genzel: Vestra External links *"Flash Gordon vs. the Amazon Women of Mongo", Zap2it review *"Flash Gordon: "Infestation" Advance Review", IGN review. Gallery 103